Or the best darn barbecue known to man.

Is it too late to recommend this for your Fourth of July cook-out?

Probably.

And not to sound so cliché, but where the heck has the time gone?  How in the world are we already over halfway through the year?  I’m trying to enjoy every single second of the summer, but lets me honest I’m totally going to be watching Hallmark’s Christmas movies next week and I’ve already started looking up Halloween costumes.  Too soon?  Most definitely.

But let’s get back to that barbecue.

So, why do I think this recipe is so dang special?  Because not only does it have pulled pork shoulder buttttt it also has the addition of pulled chuck roast.  That’s right.  Swoon.

I started out by cooking my pork and chuck roast in the slow cooker.  Because really, is there any better way to do it?  Plus – with these summer temps I’m trying to avoid turning the oven on at all costs.  Anddd I don’t have to commit to staying home all day while this cooks unless, you know, I’m re-watching the entire Game of Thrones series before the new season starts – eeek! SO soon!

Once my meat mixture was thoroughly cooked, I removed it from the crockpot and let it cool on a cutting board so I could shred it.*  Then I made the sauce.  And honestly, I don’t even know which is better.  The pulled meat.  Or the sauce.

The sauce isn’t thick by any means, so you definitely want a bun to hold up to piled-high pulled barbecue.  I opted for a standard Kaiser roll and it worked perfectly.  Oh.  And a slaw.  You definitely want to top this with a little added freshness and crunch.

Now tell me, doesn’t this just look delish?

County Fair Barbecue

makes 10-12 sandwiches

• 2.5 lb. chuck roast
• 2.5 lb. pork shoulder
• 4 c. water
• 2 ribs of celery, cut into large pieces
• 1 large onion, cut into large pieces
• 2 carrots, cut into large pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 whole cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. ketchup
• 1/2 c. cider vinegar
• 1/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 10-12 buns

Add the chuck roast, pork shoulder, 4 cups of water, celery, onion, carrots, bay leaves, cloves, salt, and pepper into the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender enough to shred.

When meat is fully cooked, remove from the slow cooker and set aside to cool enough to handle.

While your meat is cooling, add the butter and onion to a large saucepan and saute until the onion is transparent.  Add the remaining ingredients and allow to thicken slightly, but you still want it to be juicy.  This will take approximately 15 minutes.

While the barbecue sauce is simmering away, shred your meat.

Pour the finished sauce over the pulled meat, and mix together, ensuring the meat is coated in sauce.  Serve on sturdy bun and top with slaw.

Enjoy!

* This makes an excellent stock – just make sure strain to get all of the vegetables and seasonings.  It freezes very well if you’re not planning on using it immediately.

 

Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list.  Make it!!